Influence of external incentives on internal motivation

What motivates us to perform or behave in a certain way may be summed up in a single word: inducement. A person's motivation comes from their "why" or "reason."

It's possible to classify the causes as either coming from within us (intrinsic motivation) or from without (extrinsic motivation).

There is no requirement for an external reward in order for a person to execute an action that they find intrinsically satisfying. The enjoyment of the work, personal fulfillment, a sense of accomplishment, a stress-relieving outlet, etc.

When a person completes an action because they expect to be rewarded for it, they are said to be motivated by external factors. Praise, acknowledgement, monetary compensation, stickers, exemplary academic performance, tangible prizes, etc.

A person's level of motivation can be thought of as existing on a spectrum from highly externally driven to highly internally motivated. At first, we're all motivated by things outside of ourselves. Keep in mind the number of kids who do good deeds in exchange for treats or stickers from adults. However, as we grow older and our basic requirements are met, we shift our focus inside. Although it is widely agreed that intrinsic motivation is superior because it originates from within the individual, external motivation can be helpful in getting a person started on a task when he does not feel intrinsically motivated to do so.

However, there may be drawbacks to relying too heavily on external incentives. Experiments and studies examining the impact of an extra incentive on intrinsic motivation have demonstrated this to be the case.

An intriguing experimental observation was reported in the 1973 publication "Undermining children's intrinsic interest with extrinsic rewards: A test of the overjustification hypothesis" by M. Lepper, D. Green, and R. Nisbett. Children were introduced to a creative sketching exercise during their leisure time. They watched the kids play and picked the ones who seemed to enjoy painting on their own accord. These kids were split up into three groups with wildly varied experiences.

First, we showed a few of the kids a "Good Player" certificate and asked if they wanted to enter a drawing to see if they could win it.

Second, some kids were given the afternoon off to do nothing but draw, and they all of a sudden got a "Good Player" certificate.

Thirdly, some kids drew without asking for or receiving anything in return.

After a two-week break, these kids were given permission to pick up their crayons and draw again. The end product is quite intriguing. Children who drew for the reward exhibited decreased enthusiasm for the activity, and they stopped sketching altogether when the incentive was removed. Children in the other two circumstances did not demonstrate any discernible shift in their desire to draw. It appears that the natural incentive to draw was undermined by the addition of an external reward in the form of a "Good Player" certificate.

In his 1975 publication "Intrinsic Motivation," EL Deci revealed the results of his study showing that offering incentives for pursuing goals that are intrinsically rewarding actually decreases motivation. The findings imply that rewarding people for doing something they already appreciate can reduce the likelihood that they will keep doing it.

These two studies appear to demonstrate that monetary incentives undermine employee motivation. So, there is a risk of "overjustification" if we become too excited about using rewards to encourage good behavior.